What to cook for a li'l girl?

bonheurThread Starter

I will be babysitting my 5 year old niece for 10 days cuz (1) the parents are going for a 2nd honeymoon, (2) the li'l girl wants to stay with me. So she called me the other day to tell me she will be coming over and the toys she will be bringing so we can play together and I said OK. Then she said, "...can you not cook pasta everyday?" I was tempted to suggest that she stays with another aunt who is a great cook but of course I didn't say that to her. So I said sure of course! In case you're wondering why she said that... Well, this isn't the first time I'm babysitting her. With my limited knowledge in cooking, I only know how to cook pasta cuz I love pasta and it's pretty easy to cook.

Now I'm at a loss... I don't do very well with cookbooks. Don't ask me why. I don't know!! I don't wanna disappoint her. She told her parents I'm her fav aunt. Can any kind soul out there give me some suggestions on what I can cook for this li'l princess?

Member

Aww...I would suggest allrecipes.com for some really great, easy recipes. Why don't you ask her what some of her favorite foods are? Try some easy things like breaded chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn (buy it frozen and throw it in the microwave). I can also give you a personal recipe for chicken fajitas that's incredibly easy and really tasty.

First, buy all the usual stuff for tacos: tortillas, a tomato for dicing, some shredded lettuce, salsa, and sour cream. Cut about half an onion into rings, then cut a green and a red bell pepper into strips. Fry those in some olive oil for about 5-8 minutes, then take them out (but leave the liquid in the frying pan). Next just take some chicken, cut it into strips, and cook them in the frying pan until they aren't pink anymore. Put the onion and peppers back in, let it simmer for about a minute, and voila, you're done! Just assemble into the tortillas with shredded cheese and whatever other toppings you want!

You could also try making breakfast at night - kids sometimes really like that. Make pancakes, eggs, bacon, or whatever else she likes. Breakfast is a pretty easy meal to cook, so it wouldn't be too hard. Good luck!

Member

LOL Most kids are happy with PB&J! LOL My 8-year-old BEGS for Top Ramen! LMAO I know some of the stuff I mention may not sound appetizing but my kids love the simple stuff and truth-be-told I RARELY cook.

You could make tacos (like above)! Or so simple. Just seasoned ground beef, cheese and tomatoes!

You could make homemade hamburgers!?! What about Hamburger Helper!?!

There are simple Crock Pot Classics in the freezer section where you basically put in a crock pot and add water! So SIMPLE!

Shake and Bake is my hero! I love making Chicken this way and my kids love it when I make that with Mac n Cheese!

Also, my son Loves STEAK and it's easy to make! With mashed potatoes and green beans is his favorite meal!

Member

You can buy pre-made pizza dough, sauce, cheese, and whatever other toppings you want. Then you can have fun with her rolling out the dough and spreading the sauce and making faces out of olives and whatnot. Just pop it in the oven and there you go! Interactive and tasty

Admin

Member

Amy's personal pizzas; chicken pot pie; mac and cheese; pancakes; french toast; tortollini or ravoli (comes in different flavors and is not plain 'pasta'); beef stew (?)... unless she is really picky, most children eat anything.

Member

For breakfast, see if she likes scrambled eggs (easy), toast (easy, what on the toast?), cereal, potatoes (many excellent frozen ready to eat options) etc. I think breakfast is the easiest, since there are so many options and kids generally don't eat that much for breakfast anyway.

Lunch and dinner- what is her preference for meat (chicken, turkey, beef)? Steaks are great and easy. How about grilled chicken breast with barbecue sauce with a side of potatoes and veggies? Does she like stews, rices, soups? Find out what she likes and what she hates, and I'll think of some suggestions/find some recipes for you.

And yes, for my DS he sometimes prefers breakfast foods at dinner also...

Wol

Pizza - you can buy pizza dough from most supermarkets, and both of you can have fun decorating it with whatever toppings you like. I found this a great way to sneak stuff like spinach into my son's diet.

Scrambled/hardboiled eggs. Egg salad.

Grilled cheese sandwiches.

PB&J

a simple baked dish...a chicken breast rubbed over with salt and pepper and baked in the oven, served with mashed potatoes and corn.

Member

bonheurThread Starter

Thank you everyone for the wonderful suggestions! You guys saved me!! My mind was literally BLANK after that phonecall. Some of you suggested that I ask her what she likes and I did. She likes pancakes, pizzas, fries, nuggets, PB&J (bingo!!), ice-cream, cupcakes, etc.

First, buy all the usual stuff for tacos: tortillas, a tomato for dicing, some shredded lettuce, salsa, and sour cream. Cut about half an onion into rings, then cut a green and a red bell pepper into strips. Fry those in some olive oil for about 5-8 minutes, then take them out (but leave the liquid in the frying pan). Next just take some chicken, cut it into strips, and cook them in the frying pan until they aren't pink anymore. Put the onion and peppers back in, let it simmer for about a minute, and voila, you're done! Just assemble into the tortillas with shredded cheese and whatever other toppings you want!

You could also try making breakfast at night - kids sometimes really like that. Make pancakes, eggs, bacon, or whatever else she likes. Breakfast is a pretty easy meal to cook, so it wouldn't be too hard. Good luck!

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Thanks for sharing your recipe with me. Which part of the chicken should I get? You don't need seasoning at all?

You can buy pre-made pizza dough, sauce, cheese, and whatever other toppings you want. Then you can have fun with her rolling out the dough and spreading the sauce and making faces out of olives and whatnot. Just pop it in the oven and there you go! Interactive and tasty

You can also make mini personal pizzas with plain bagels.

Click to expand...

That's a Great idea! Why didn't I think of that?? Thank you!! I think she will love it. What type of sauce should I use? How much do I need?

For breakfast, see if she likes scrambled eggs (easy), toast (easy, what on the toast?), cereal, potatoes (many excellent frozen ready to eat options) etc. I think breakfast is the easiest, since there are so many options and kids generally don't eat that much for breakfast anyway.

Lunch and dinner- what is her preference for meat (chicken, turkey, beef)? Steaks are great and easy. How about grilled chicken breast with barbecue sauce with a side of potatoes and veggies? Does she like stews, rices, soups? Find out what she likes and what she hates, and I'll think of some suggestions/find some recipes for you.

And yes, for my DS he sometimes prefers breakfast foods at dinner also...

Good luck!

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Thanks for the suggestions. For the meat, she likes chicken and turkey. Yes, she likes rice pasta but I don't know how to do it. She don't like spicy stuff but black pepper is OK with her though. She likes grilled chicken but I don't have a clue how to make it either...

Try:
Pizza - you can buy pizza dough from most supermarkets, and both of you can have fun decorating it with whatever toppings you like. I found this a great way to sneak stuff like spinach into my son's diet.

Scrambled/hardboiled eggs. Egg salad.

Grilled cheese sandwiches.

PB&J

a simple baked dish...a chicken breast rubbed over with salt and pepper and baked in the oven, served with mashed potatoes and corn.

Click to expand...

LOL I'm trying to sneak some veggies in her meals as well! Hmm... the baked dish sounds good. How long should I bake it for? At what temperature? Sorry, how do you make mashed potatoes? I'm so embarrassed... Do you have a more detailed instructions?

Member

For the chicken fajitas - I forgot to mention that you can season the chicken with dried oregano and salt and pepper. Just buy 2-3 boneless chicken breasts and cut them up into strips!

Also, do you have a specialty grocery store near you? The one by me sells pre-prepared meat, like delicious stuffed pork chops or pre-made meatballs. You just have to throw them in the oven and they're done.

Member

The store near me sells ones that are very fresh, it's kind of like a butcher within the store where they sell all the fresh meat. But anyway, if you get pork chops that are pre-stuffed and pre-coated, you can just brown the sides in a pan over the stove (with a little olive oil in the pan) and bake them in a dish for about 45 min to an hour at 350 degrees.

Member

I concur with all of the suggestions. My 3 yo gd is a pretty good eater. Her fav for breakfast is oatmeal with a little maple syrup or a banana. For lunch it's PB&J or turkey and a piece of fruit. She loves clementines (likes to peel herself.) Other favs are fruit cups, yogurt, string cheese, raisins, graham crackers. For dinner she'll eat most meat like pork chops, chicken, steak, meatloaf. As for veggies, she likes all potatoes, mashed or baked. peas, broccoli and raw tomatoes. She also likes soup. almost any kind. Some kids really like salads, although she's not too into it yet. What a nice aunt you are. Your niece might be a more adventurous eater than you think. Good luck.